News
Local

Linda Dugas used to work. She used to walk, socialize and live without medication. Then, her multiple sclerosis sped up.

"You lose your independence," said Dugas, 46, in her Lively home.

The house is newly renovated and carefully decorated. Pictures of Dugas' daughter line the walls; one in a green dress, one in a graduation cap. But it's the bathroom that her husband, Andre Dugas, shows off. It's equipped with grips and safety rails, so in the morning, when Dugas has enough strength, she can wash herself without any help.

"Linda has secondary progressive MS," Andre said of his high school sweetheart, who was diagnosed in 2007, but first showed symptoms in the late '90s. "She shakes, she cannot walk, she's in a scooter. For a year now, her whole left side, she's got nothing there. No stability."

But the couple still has hope. Through the news and co-workers, they learned about Cerebrospinal venous insufficiency (CCSVI) treatment, or, as it's sometimes called, liberation therapy, which was publicized by Italian Dr. Paolo Zamboni.

MS is a disease that affects the central nervous system. It attacks myelin, a protective covering wrapped around the system's nerves, which causes loss of vision, hearing, memory, balance and mobility.

According to the doctor, multiple sclerosis may be linked to narrowed veins in the neck. These veins could restrict blood flow away from the brain. The treatment, an angioplasty procedure, involves widening the veins by inserting a small balloon in, inflating and withdrawing it.

Other treatments also include inserting stents, or wire mesh tubes, into the veins, which have led to complications when the stents migrated to the heart.

For the Lively couple, this treatment could mean a differ-e nt life. But, after doing research, they learned that it's not offered in Canada, where there's a lack of specialized equipment and training for the procedure.

So the couple are heading to Tampa, Fla., where, on Feb. 9- 10, Dugas will get the procedure done.

"We're skeptical because Canada still wants all this testing to be done. Linda's at a point in her life when we can't wait any longer. She wants this in the worst way," Andre said.

Dugas will rent an RV for the trip, which, along with the treatment, will cost around $20,000.

"It's coming out of our pocket. It was $8,700 just for the procedure," he said.

"We live in the best country in the world, why is it Canadians have to go to Costa Rica or The States to get this done?"

While getting follow-up care in Canada for this procedure is difficult, the couple found a doctor in Barrie willing to do an ultrasound in May to check on Dugas' progress.

"I'm hoping, let's see, to not shake as much. For better vision, I hope, and to get back to walking with my cane," Dugas said.

Andre is hopeful too.

"It's MS, it's an S.O.B. of a sickness," he said. "If something doesn't happen ... in six to eight months, she'll be in a bed."